Impregnating material



Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES 2,025,486 IMPREGNATING MATERIAL Benjamin J. Victor, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Victor Manufacturing & Gasket Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois No Drawing.

Application July 18, 1933,

Serial No. 680,992

3 Claims. (Cl. 91-68) This invention relates to an improved impregnating material, and hasfor one of its principal objects the provision of an impregnator for textile material and the like, which shall render the same waterproof and also proof against the action of various other liquids, particularly petroleum products.

One of the important objects of this invention is the provision of a textile impregnator which, in addition to rendering a textile material or the like proof against attack by various liquids, shall at the same time leave the same in condition for suitable working and for the ordinary applications to which said textile material has previously been put.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an impregnating compound for certain textile materials or the like,.as, for example, asbestos, which impregnator, in addition to rendering the asbestos waterproof, shall-also make the same proof against the attacks of liquid hydrocarbons, and in conjunction with the fireproof properties of the asbestos itself, shall also aid line or the like, in addition to being made extremely tough and compact while at the same time retaining its desirable resilient qualities.

Other andfurther important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the following specification;

The invention, in a preferred form, is hereinafter more fully described.

The improved composition of this invention may ,be prepared, and the textile material 'or asbestos may be impregnated to render the same water and gasoline proof in any one of a number of related methods and with certain variations in the materials used.

One of the preferred embodiments of the invention is the incorporation of aluminum stearate into the textilematerial, asbestos or the like for i'mpregnating purposes to render the same proof against the action of water and other materials. I

In order to conveniently employ the aluminum stearate, it is dissolved in a suitable solvent such as, for example, carbon tetrachloride or a similar facture of gaskets for material. Mixtures of carbon tetrachloride with other liquids or solvents, as, for example, benzol, may also be employed. The solution is usually facilitated by the addition of heat, and it has been found that the use of a temperature of around 140 F. is quite satisfactory when carbon tetrachloride alone is.employed for the dissolving of the aluminum stearate. I

The proportions used can'be varied considerably, depending upon the desired'viscosity of the in dissolving the stearate in the liquid in order to prevent air bubbles from forming. I

After complete solution has taken place, the

material can be reduced, if desired, with a suitsired point of viscosity, so that thesame will readily penetrate a sheet of textile material or a sheet of asbestos fibers, hemp or jute fibers,. or any other textile or similar material which it is desired to impregnate by the improved composition of this invention.

To improve the solution so as to render the lin pregnable material more flexible, 1 to 5% of a free fatty acid material may be added. This is thoroughly mixed, and it has been found that-asbestos or similar material will thus become impregnated quite thoroughlyand to such an extent that the same is rendered completely waterproof and also proof against the action of liquid hydrocarbons such" as gasoline, which is quite desirable when the asbestos is used in the manuintemal combustion engines.

The material can then be dried, preferably without the application of heat and under merely a forced draft of air, the omission of heat being particularly important when the free fatty acid has been added to the solution.

The carbon tetrachloride vapors carried ofi in the drying process may be reclaimed.

Another impregnating compound is prepared by partially decomposingthe aluminum stearate or similar material, this being preferably done at a'temperature of around 400 F. and over a sulphuric acid bath, the vapors of the acid acting upon the impurities formed'by the aluminum stearate while decomposing. This process also acts in a great degree to prevent the possibilities of undesirable foaming and bubbling over.

After the aluminum stearate has been totally dissolved, it assumes a gummy consistency, andv In order to reducethe dangers inherent to the use of the inflammable benzol, a considerable amount of carbon tetrachloride or some other noninflammable solvent may be added to the ben- 201, and the decomposed aluminum stearate, when taken up in solution, may then be further thinned and used for impregnating purposes in substantially the same manner as the dissolved powdered aluminum stearate described above. After the desired saturation of the asbestos or other textile material has been accomplished, the benzol, carbon tetrachloride or other solvents may be accordingly reclaimed.

The use of the above process results in an impregnating material which, when applied toasbestos or the like, thoroughly penetrates the fibers thereof, and after the solvent has been evaporated off, the aluminum stearate has become so thoroughly incorporated into the fabric or fibers that an absolutely waterproof material results, and one which is alsopeculiarly resistant to the actions of other liquids, notably hydrocarbons. It is this property which renders the impregnated asbestos particularly valuable for gasket purposes. The material is accordingly toughened and renered considerably more flexible, and the tend-- ency of the fibers to separate is practically eliminated, whileat the same time the desired flexibility and workability is retained.

' Another embodiment of the invention is the use of turpentine oil as a solvent for the aluminum stearate. Six parts of turpentine oil will dissolve-one part of aluminum stearate with gentle heating, and after cooling, the solution will set to a jellwhich can be diluted by adding more soli vent. An addition of ethyl alcohol to the latter 'will impart considerably greater liquidity.

The turpentine oil may also be used to further dissolve the jells obtained with carbon tetrachloride" and benzol. The use of turpentine with the carbon tetrachloride. will probably be preferable on account of the lesse'ned fire hazard.

Another modification ofthe invention is the actual forming of an aluminum stearate or an aluminum soap within the fiber through the interi action of soap and aluminum sulphate. This also produces a very good and satisfactory gasket ma terial. Iron may also be substituted for aluminum and iron oleate for stearate.

. The latter is preferably pre-treated with a two per cent copperas solution, and after drying, saturated with a casein glue solution containing two per cent ammoniam oleate, and again dipped into the copperas solution, thereby forming two films of a metallic oleate which envelop the casein glue layer on both sides.

While aluminum stearate is the preferred saturant, other metallic salts of fatty acids may be 5' employed, such as oleates or combinations of stearates and oleates may be used. This particular saturant is sufficiently clear and can be made of a desired viscosity so as to penetrate and act as a proofing material for various textiles and fibrous materials other than asbestos, such as hemp and jute fibers. By saturating hemp and jute fibers, a new vegetable fiber packing for shafts is available which has both gasoline and waterproof qualities. One of the main objections to a rope vegetable fiber packing and the saturants heretofore employed therewith is that a corrosion or caustic action takes place when used between two magnesium metals. The use of the saturant of this invention provides a saponi- 2o fication action, particularly when a slight excess of a free fatty acid is used, and this produces a water insoluble soap whereby an ideal packing results, particularly adapted for use with water pump shafts of automobile engines and the like.

After treatment, that is, when the volatile portions have been driven oil, the packing is absolutely moisture free, and neither is there any free acid or alkali present, and accordingly, no chemical or physical changes can take place in the saturant, while at the same time it is quite impervious to heat, remaining inert at least up to a temperature of 250 F.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of the method varied as throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore; do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior I claim as my invention:

, 1. An impregnating material for gaskets comprising aluminum stearate partially decomposed to a gummy consistency in solution with benzol' and carbon tetrachloride with a suitable thinner.

2. A method of liquid proofing a gasket, including the preliminarypartial decomposition of a metallic fatty acid salt to a'gummy consistency,

the dissolving of the resinous residue in a suitable solvent, to a desired degree of viscosity, im- -pregnating the gasket and subsequently evapoly all of the solvent. Q0

BENJAMIN J. VICTOR. 

